Gary Kubiak on Ed Reed: He could be a game-time decision on Monday

Posted by Josh Alper on September 6, 2013, 3:25 PM EST

AP

The Texans won’t open their season until Monday night, giving safety Ed Reed an extra day to convince the team that he’s healthy enough to play.

Coach Gary Kubiak said Friday that there’s a chance that could happen. Kubiak said that Reed was able to do more in practice on Friday and that he thinks the veteran safety has a shot to get on the field against the Chargers.

“He had another good practice today,” Kubiak said, via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “He’s come a long way. I can’t say he won’t play.”

Reed’s response to a stepped-up practice schedule will likely play a role in the team’s ultimate decision as will the big picture of what lies ahead for the Texans this season. While they’d obviously like to have him on the field, an opener against a Chargers team that doesn’t look particularly threatening may not be worth risking having Reed for the larger portion of the season.

The Texans will release their final injury report for Monday’s game on Saturday, which is when we’ll get more definitive word on the outlook for Reed in Week One.

Hey, I’m just wondering if the Texans have any regrets, not slamming Reed. As a Steelers fan, I know better than most what a healthy Reed brings to the mix and I love watching him play (anyone but us). But the nagging injuries are a concern.

For those asking if Texans fans regret signing him – I can honestly say I speak for the majority of Texans fans when I say we don’t regret the signing so long as he can at least contribute to this team. We really don’t care if he plays Week 1 although the majority of us just want to see him out there in a Texans uniform for the first time. He wasn’t brought here to be an All-Pro, he wasn’t brought here to be a dominant force or a 16-game stud. He was brought to help a secondary that was torched last year and to bring more mental toughness to a team that lacked it the last 2 years.

Phillip Rivers was quoted this week when asked about Reed playing, and he basically said the exact reason why the Texans signed him – just his presence makes QB’s have to at least think twice before throwing in that direction, and just that little bit of hesitation and doubt can help a secondary and a pass rush.